But – using the U.S. as an example, that means that 12 million Americans are sociopaths.

Because sociopaths are ruthless and will squash their rivals and burn institutions to the ground in order to reach their goals – but great at pretending that they care about people – they are incredibly destructive.

Sociopaths would have been discovered very quickly in a small group. But in huge societies like our’s, they can rise to positions of power and influence.

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Unless we learn to spot “wolves in sheep’s clothing”, we will continue to fall prey to their scams.

Note: Other mental health experts put the percentage of sociopaths at 1-3% of the population, which is 3–9 million Americans.